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Today's Featured Biography
Eric Groves
My name is Eric J. Groves but, have gone by the nickname "Jeff" since November 1968. My date of birth was 1945. Before I was born, my mother lived in St. Mary's, Georgia. At the time that I was due, an impending, hurricane forced my mother to take a shrimp boat across the St. Mary's River to Fernandina Beach, Florida where I was born.
Special Note: My Mother and Father (Everett Sheridan Groves, born 1913 in Richmond, Virginia) were divorced when I was about 18 months old, and would love to hear from anyone that knew my father, his brothers and sisters or his parents.
During the first few years of my life, I lived in St Mary's , Georgia; Akron, Ohio; West Palm Beach, Florida, and Jacksonville, Florida. Between my 4th and 10th birthdays, I lived in a small town in North central Florida called, Palatka. In the summer of my 10th year, mother moved us to Natchez , Mississippi where we lived until I was 12. From Natchez, we moved to Plaquemine, Louisiana (just a bit south of Baton Rouge) where we lived for 6 months. At then end of our stay in Plaquemine, we moved north to Collingston, Louisiana and stayed there for about 6 months as well.
Just before my 14th birthday (summer of 1959), mother moved us again; this time to Port Hueneme, California. I attended the 8th grade at Bard Elementary School in Hueneme, and the 9th, 10th, and most of the 11th grade at, Port Hueneme High School.
During my high school years I worked part time at Roller Gardens Skating Rink, in Wagon Wheel Junction (just north of Oxnard).
In the early part of 1963 we moved into Oxnard, California, where I started my senior year at Oxnard High School. Midway through my senior year, mother again moved us; this time to Chula Vista, California. In June of 1964 I graduated from Chula Vista High School.
In the fall of that same year, I started Junior College at Southwestern Junior College on Otay Mesa; just south of Chula Vista and a bit north of Tijuana, Mexico. That lasted until January of 1965 when I moved back to Palatka, Florida to attend St. Johns River Junior College .
At some point during the early spring of 65, I decided to quit school and give working a try. After a few months; my mother called to tell me that my name would soon be coming up before the draft board in California. Rather than being drafted into the Army, I joined the United States Air Force, and in August of 1965 found myself at basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas .
Because of Vietnam, there was a big push to get people through basic, so most basic trainees, including me, only spent 6 weeks at Lackland. Some myself included, were shipped to Keesler AFB Biloxi, Mississippi, to finish basic training.
Following basic training, I attend the United States Air Force, Basic Air Traffic Control (ATC) Course. I graduated from the ATC school on 10 May 1966 and the following day begin the Air Force Technical Training School. In July of that same year, I graduated a full fledged ATC Instructor and was promoted to Airman Second Class (E-3).
In June the following year, I received Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders sending me to RAF Bentwaters, near Ipswich, Suffolk, England. That October I was promoted to Buck Sergeant (E-4) and a few days later met my future wife; Anfora G. Eyton-Jones. As of 5 September 2008 we have been married 40 years.
While at Bentwaters, I earned the first of many Air Traffic Control Facility Ratings, got married on the 5th of September 1968 and in July 1969; I was promoted to Staff Sergeant (E-5). In March of 1970 I again got PCS orders, this time to Spandahlem Air Base Germany .
In June of 1971, I was again sent PCS; to Da Nang Air Base, Republic of South Vietnam. While stationed there, I was promoted to Technical Sergeant (E-6). After being in Vietnam 13 months it was PCS time again, this time to Patrick AFB, Satellite Beach, Florida.
In April of 1973 my oldest son Charles was born in the Base Hospital at Patrick AFB, Satellite Beach, Florida.
After being at Patrick for about 14 months, off I was sent again; this time back to Keesler AFB, Mississippi, for another tour as Air Traffic Control Technical Instructor.
In January 1976; I departed Keesler, for Kunsan, Air Base Korea . After one year in Korea , I was sent to Kelly AFB, San Antonio, Texas. After being at Kelly for a little less than a year, I was promoted to Master Sergeant (E-7).
After being at Kelly for a little over two years, the wife and I (by now she was in the Air Force) were sent back to RAF Bentwaters, England very near her home town of Ipswich. While at Bentwaters, my youngest son Daniel was born.
After high school Daniel joined the Air Force Reserves and was trained as an Intelligence Specialist. He graduated from Valley View High School, Moreno Valley, California in June 2000. In June of 2005 he graduated from DeVry University with a Bachelor of Science in Network and Communications Management and again in December of 2006 with a Master of Business Administration from the Keller Graduate School of Management.
In May 1986 I learned that I would be sewing on the rank of Senior Master Sergeant (E-8) in August, and would be transferred to Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas. I arrived at Sheppard in early September and was there almost two years to the day. My next assignment was at King Salmon, Air Force Station, King Salmon, Alaska.
After one year at King Salmon, I was again transferred; this time to George Air Force Base, Victorville, California. I retired from the Air Force (at George) on 30 September 1991 with 26 years 1 month and 13 days of military service. Just before retiring I moved into the town of Victorville which is located in the High Desert about 65 miles North Northeast of Los Angeles.
While on Terminal Leave from the Air Force, I was hired by the Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Border Protection Air, Air and Marine Operations Center (AMOC) Riverside, CA as a Detection Enforcement Officer (DEO). At this point I have been working at the AMOC for over 21 years, and I intend to continue until I retire once again.
After commuting to work for about a year and a half, the family and I moved to what I hope is our final home. We now live in Moreno Valley, CA which is about 55 miles East of Los Angeles.
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